This invention relates to a peeling apparatus for fruits and vegetables and more particularly to such an apparatus that is peculiarly suited for peeling articles having highly irregular surfaces.
High capacity peeling machines have been known for some time, as exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,134,413 and 3,566,942. The capacity and efficiency of these machines has been further increased by the development of a peel treating process which includes the steps of subjecting the peel to a lye bath and then exposing it to infrared energy to activate the lye. Such process is disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 299,760, filed Oct. 24, 1972 now Pat. No. 3,855,916 issued Dec. 24, 1974.
The machines disclosed in the above-mentioned patents and application operate satisfactorily, but sometimes leave unpeeled areas on fruit and vegetable articles having highly irregular surfaces, such as potatoes, that are knobby and/or have deep growth cracks in the surface thereof.